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The Press
July 19, 2002
Bishop supports keep-quiet clause
by Yvonne Martin
A
secret payout made to a group of 14 women beaten by Catholic nuns, on the
condition that they keep quiet, has the support of the Christchurch Bishop.
Bishop John Cunneen, who as head of the
"The Church has no option than to respect the terms of the
agreement," he said.
Bishop Cunneen said the stories that had emerged of
physical abuse by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd against girls in the
Today's Good Shepherd sisters wanted to do all they could to help the
complainants and took part in the mediation in
The Press
's inquiries revealed yesterday that the sisters paid out sums of money and
gave written apologies to the women, acknowledging their childhood ordeals.
Bishop Cunneen said it was agreed that the terms of
settlement were binding on the parties -- including the complainants' husbands
or partners, and their officials and advisers.
He said parties agreed to say that the dispute was resolved and that settlement
was reached to their mutual satisfaction, and nothing else.
"The fact that someone appears to have breached that agreement does not
exempt everybody else who signed it," said Bishop Cunneen.
He did not say if the Church would enforce the confidentiality clauses.
Bishop Cunneen said the Church would respect the
agreement and expected that most, if not all, of the parties would do so.
One complainant who called The Press
yesterday said there were simmering
tensions about the settlement, which was divided up unequally among the women.
For instance, she received about $20,000 while she knows of another complainant
who received more than $50,000.
"There was a degree of unfairness," she said.
Another complainant, who negotiated a settlement independently of the group
action, said the payout she received for counselling and education "hadn't
made a jot of difference" to her life.
"It will never be over. It (the effects) will be there till I die,"
she said.
The Bishop's stance has infuriated the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust,
which said freedom of speech made a huge difference to complainants it is
supporting against another Catholic order.
The St John of God Order has abandoned the confidentiality clauses of its
deals, and its visiting Australasian head, Brother Peter Burke, has reiterated
that complainants are free to speak.
"The Catholic Church, including the Bishop, is in total denial," said
trust manager Ken Clearwater. "They really have to look at what Brother
Burke is doing and come clean. The confidentiality clauses are not there to
protect the victims at all -- they are totally there to protect the
Church."
Brother Burke, who is holding meetings with 20 complainants who attended his
order's
Today he visits Paparua Prison, where at least three inmates have complained of
abuse at the hands of
A Catholic women's lobby group has called for priests, and even bishops, to be
professionally supervised to curb sexual abuse problems.
In an open letter to